Completed notes of the course Part 1

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TECHNOLOGIES FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE Our body has the attitude of regeneration, which is the capability of our tissues to grow again. In case of serious injuries, we need the substitution of tissues or organs with transplants. Although the field of transplantation has improved dramatically, with better patient and graft survival, the demand for tissue and organs continues to exceed supply, this leads to the transplant crisis and the gap between demand and supply. The organ waiting lists lengthen, together with the waiting times. As a result, an increasing number of patients die because not transplanted in time. Organ procurement and transplantation network (OPTN) database optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/: number of waiting list removals caused by patient death. The average number of patients/day removed from the waiting list in 2010 due to their death is: 7195/365=20 patients/day. The demand of tissue and organs for transplant is pushing science to new frontiers of medicine. One frontier is regenerative medicine, which is a broad definition for innovative medical therapies that will enable the body to repair, replace, restore and regenerate damaged or diseases cells, tissues and organs. Regenerative medicine is based on the concept of supporting and activating the body’s intrinsic reparative ability. The fundamental components of a regenerative therapy are: • CELLS which are the living part; • SIGNALS that are stimulating factors inducing cell responses such as proliferation and differentiation. Signals can be chemical (growth factors) or physical (mechanical, electrical); • BIOMATERIAL SCAFFOLDS supporting cell adhesion and growth, they can also be a source of signals. These three components can be used alone or in any combination to create complex therapeutic strategies.…